Vending machine



July 7, 1942.`

G. S. WELTON `vENDINGf MACHINE Fiied April 14, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet lyHIHI u 1 LZ 22 i l famed f' July 7, 1942 G. si. wELToN 2,288,759

VENDING MACHINE Filed April 14, '1941 2 sheets-sheet 2 Il Il ff 5 J7 QZZ/ j il i -J J2 j l l i J5 l l 21 i J5 i La l u 10 I;

uw Mm Patented July 7, 1942 VENDING MACHINEv Gilmore S. `Welton,-Chcago,Ill., assigner to Victor Vending Corporation, Chicago, Ill., acorporation of Illinois Application April 14, 1941, Serial No. 388,428

(Cl. S12-'73) Z Claims.

This invention relates in general to vending machines and moreparticularly to that type in which the commodity to be dispensed is heldin a transparent container so that the articles to be vended will be inkfull view of the operator.

In a number of machines of this character it has been customary to placein the container and in commingling relation with the other articles, acertain number of special articles which are generally the samecommodity only specifically designated or differentiated from theremaining articles, the object being that in the normal operation of themachine by the deposit of the proper coin or token, one or more of thearticles in the container will be vended or discharged from the machineupon' the .proper operation of the coin control mechanism.

The differently designated articles are for the purpose of stimulatingthe sale of the commodity in that should the operator be fortunateenough to receive from the machine when properly operated, one of thespecially designated articles, he will be entitled to something in-addition to the regular article, in the nature of a prize or specialaward.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide in amachine of this character improved means whereby a sample of the prizeor special award may be displayed within the container from'which thearticles are vended.

A further object is to provide improved means in the way of anattachment' of this character which may be readily placed within thecontainer of machines now on the market without necessitating any`changek or alteration whatsoever of such machines. l

A further object vis toprovide an improved device or attachment of thischaracter which will not only display the prize or award but which willalso segregate Ia prize or award from the other aritcles in thecontainer, and at the same time conceal the remaining articles to ybevended.

A further object is to provide an improved means for segregating one ofthe prize indicating or coveted tokens or articles from the remainingarticles in the container `and maintain the same in a position where itwill also be visible, so that the operator may know at a glance whicharticle he must receive from the machine to entitle him to such an awardor prize.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new anduseful objects as will appear, the invention -consists in the featuresof novelty in` substantially the construcparts, hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed and 'shownin the accompanying drawingsillustrating this invention, and in which Figure l is a fronty elevationof a portion of a vending machine having an attachment constructed inaccordance with the principles of4 tachment embodying the features ofthis inven-A tion.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral I designatesgenerally a vending machine of any desired size, configuration andconstruction provided with the usual coin actuated mechanismdiagrammatically illustrated at Il.

The vending machine is provided with a container I2 which is usuallyconstructed of transparent material, such as glass, open at the top andbottom and lclosed at the bottom by resting upon the portion of themachine II). The top of the machine is closed by means of a closure I3removably held in position in any suitable manner, all as well known inthis art.

The articles to be vended are placed en masse within the container I2and are individually vended in the usual manner by the deposit of a coinin the coin control mechanism and the operation of a knob or handle I4.

The numeral I5 designates a sheet of any suitable flexible material andis of a width substantially equal to the height of the container I2, andof a length to be placed within the container and to contact the innersurface of the wall of the container I2. This element I5 is also of sucha length that when it is -placed within the container I2 the ends I6will abut, as shown more clearly in Figure 2, so as to hold the elementagainst the container wall.

Carried by this element I5 are a plurality of receptacles I'I and I8,any number of which may be provided, and they may be arranged in anysuitable position or relation with respect to each other. Thesereceptacles are disposed within the plane of the edges of the element I5and respectively open through the element, as at Ill-25, the openingsIll-2l] being preferably in the plane of the body of the element I5.

The receptacles II-IS may b-e of any desired size and configuration andwhen placed in potion, combination and arrangement of the several 55sition within the container I2, will be closed by the wall of thecontainer as shown more clearly in Figure 2. The receptacles I8 are forthe .purpose of receiving and holding any desired object or articlewhich is to be given as a prize to the operator which by the legitimateoperation of the machine receives one of the predetermined articles fromthe container I2.

The article which controls the distribution of the commodity 2I isindicated by the reference numeral 22, and is placed within thereceptacle I'I, the receptacle also being closed by the wall of thecontainer I2. Any desired number of these articles `22 are placed withinthe container l2 with the remaining articles 23 that are to be vended.

The element I is preferably opaque so as to conceal all of the articlesand the contents oi the container I2 so that the operator will not beable to figure out the chances of securing one of the articles 22 uponthe proper manipulation of the coin control mechanism.

The element I5 is freely removable from the container by the removal ofthe closure I3 and is also freely insertable into the machines now onthe market.

With this improved attachment it will be maniiest that the sale of thecommodity will be greatly stimulated by reason of the fact that theoperator will be desirous of obtaining one of the articles 2 I. In orderto do this, however, he must properly operate the machine until hesecures one of the specially designated articles 22. Not being able toascertain or gure out the changes of securing one of these articles 22by reason of their being concealed from his view,

it will be manifest that no fraud can be perpetrated in this respect butthe operator will always be assured of receiving the proper value forthe coin, in the manner the same as in connection with vending machinesnow on the market.

In addition to this value, however, should he receive one of thespecially designated articles 22 he will receive an additional award ofone of the prizes 2I.

While the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that various changes may be made inthe details of construction and inthe combination and arrangement of theseveral parts Vwithin the scope of the claims, without departing fromthe spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

l. In a vending machine, a container having a transparent wall, and fromwhich container the articles to be vended may be delivered, saidcontainer serving also to hold and to vend one or more prize-indicating,or coveted, tokens, means for concealing the articles and tokens thatare to be vended, and means for holding a prize-indicating tokensegregated with respect to the remaining tokens in the container and formaintaining the segregated token visible from the outside of thecontainer in exclusion of the other articles in the container.

2. As an article of manufacture, an article holder comprising a flexiblebody adapted to be placed into the container of a vending machineadjacent the inner surface of the container wall, the said wall beingtransparent, said body being provided with a chamber having one of itssides open to be closed by the container wall, said chamber adapted toreceive and hold a prize indicating token segregated from the remainingarticles in the container, said body concealing the said remainingarticles in said container.

GILMORE S. WELTON.

